Shouts of “Jegede ti de, gomina ti de” light up Akure
Major streets and roads in Akure, the Ondo state capital on Wednesday night witnessed another round of governorship campaigns coming from People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede following the Appellate Court’s judgement which authenticates the candidature of Jegede for Saturday governorship election.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on June 29, 2016, delivered a judgement which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP gubernatorial candidate, for which Jegede approached the Appellate Court.
But, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Wednesday, by the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-man special panel of the appellate court, the Court vacated the June 29 judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja that ordered INEC to recognise Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP gubernatorial candidate, reducing the number of serious gubernatorial candidates to three.
There was wild jubilation in Akure, the stronghold of Governor Segun Mimiko’s anointed governorship candidate, Jegede as the judgement was delivered in Abuja with youths and a sizeable number of women, especially market women were seen discussing and commending the Appellate Court for authenticating Jegede’s candidature, even though at the eleventh hour.
Torn posters and flyers as well as destroyed bill boards showing campaign pictures of Eyitayo Jegede and his running mate, John Ola Mafo, were re-posted on the major streets and roads, majorly in Akure and across the Ondo Central Senatorial District as Olukemi Mimiko, First Lady of Ondo state and Eno Jegede, wife of PDP gubernatorial candidate led groups of people, youths and women, in a fresh campaign rally in Akure.
At about 10 pm on Wednesday night, huge number of Jegede and PDP supporters were seen in Akure moving around in convoys, playing political music and honking sirens to attract semi-awake people and passers-by, singing in unison, “Jegede tide, gomina ti de”, which means Jegede has come back, our governor has come back.